Meaning making after a near-death experience: The relevance of intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics.
Simone Bianco, Marco Sambin, Arianna Palmieri
Death Studies October 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1310768 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPeople who have had a near-death experience (NDE) use both internal and social processes to make sense of the event and integrate it into their lives. Interviews with six individuals who reported an NDE revealed that both intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics are involved in meaning-making, and that difficulties during integration often arise. A meaning-based therapeutic framework can help clinicians understand and support people who have had such experiences.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6 |
| Population | Individuals who reported having had a near-death experience |
| Key finding | Intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics are implicated in the meaning-making processes of individuals integrating a near-death experience, and meaning-based approaches offer a feasible framework for support. |
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the processes used by individuals to integrate a near-death experience (NDE) and to discuss the use of a meaning-making component to help people who have had such experiences. A psychotherapist interviewed six individuals who reported having had a NDE. Transcripts of the interviews were coded using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. The authors identified intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics implicated in the individuals' meaning-making processes, and the problems encountered during their integration of the experience. Meaning-based approaches are a feasible theoretical framework for shedding light on the NDE and providing support for people who have lived through them.